Humanity
by MerlinStar
Summary: An AU. Gaius has just told Merlin that the Dragonlord, Balinor, is his father, but what happens when the Great Dragon turns up, demanding that Camelot hands over Merlin? Chaos ensues and someone must make the ultimate sacrifice if the future is to be saved. A bit dark. Definitely a T.
1. A Sacrifice

_This was really me thinking up something very dark after watching The Last Dragonlord, which I think is a brilliant episode. I blame my brain for this._

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Sacrifice**

Both Gaius and Merlin suddenly heard the roar of the Great Dragon and the rush of wings. There was then a minor tremor as it landed right outside the citadel.

"Merlin," they heard it roar. Gaius stared at his ward. Both shared the same look of horror. "MERLIN!"

Merlin knew that the entire city could hear the Dragon roar his name. The question was what they would think of it. He could tell from the old man's face that Gaius was now worried.

There were a few moments of silence before they heard the Great Dragon roar Merlin's name a few more time.

"What do you think he wants with me?" the warlock asked. Gaius remained silent but looked at the floor. In truth, he had no idea.

Merlin sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just lost my temper like that," he muttered. Gaius remembered the conversation they had just had.

"I understand. You're upset. I think it's best if you continue to pack; going away from Camelot might be the best thing for you after this."

The door suddenly burst open and Arthur rushed in, grabbing Merlin by the arm.

"I have to get you out of here now," he panted.

"What?" Merlin said.

"My father thinks that if he hands you over to the Dragon then it'll leave Camelot alone. He's sent a number of soldiers to arrest you."

"But why are you-"

"Merlin, I think that if we hand you over it would only make things worse. And do you really think I'd hand you over after everything you've done for us."

Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Are you actually saying-"

"Merlin not now, come on. Gaius, when they come to arrest him, tell them that he's in my chambers. I'm sorry, but I know you don't want Merlin to die."

Gaius nodded and Arthur dragged Merlin out and down the corridor. Merlin, however, didn't feel that this was right.

"Wait, Arthur." Arthur looked at him but continued to march down the corridor. "This isn't right," Merlin continued. "Maybe I should turn myself in."

"Are you mad?"

"But what if it does save Camelot?"

"In my opinion, you'd only be the first in a long line of victims and the beast would still attack."

"What if it does leave Camelot alone though?"

"Merlin, you really do have a knack for self-sacrifice, don't you? It's what makes you even more of an idiot."

That was when they heard the number of footfalls coming from both directions.

"What?" Arthur said, drawing his sword.

"Arthur you can't expect to fight your men just because of me."

Arthur ignored him and watched as the soldiers came at them from either side. The men looked slightly surprised that Arthur was there, especially... Arthur's father.

"Arthur?" Uther said in astonishment.

Merlin knew what would happen if he didn't surrender. Walking in front of Arthur, the warlock put his arms in the air and walked away from Arthur.

"Merlin," Arthur hissed. He couldn't believe what Merlin was doing; it just proved that he was insane.

"I'm sorry Arthur," Merlin said, giving the prince a last smile. He then turned to face the king.

Uther motioned at a couple of the soldiers and they grabbed Merlin's arms. Another one gagged Merlin and threw a hood over his face.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, as the soldier punched Merlin in the stomach, winding the boy.

"Take him to the dragon and escort my son back to his chambers," Uther commanded, turning away and stalking down the corridor.

"Merlin!" Arthur cried again as the soldiers dragged the pair away in opposite directions. He could see Merlin visibly tremble with fear. Arthur mentally kicked himself for not getting to Gaius' chambers quicker.

* * *

Merlin felt the men drag him into the fresh air and into a stuffy room that stunk of excrement. He knew that they were in the stables. The warlock then felt his hands being tied behind his back as well as his legs. He was then thrown onto the back of a horse and he heard the soldiers climb onto their mounts before the one he was on was led out of the stables.

A few minutes later, Merlin felt the soldiers lift him off the horse and onto his knees. The hood was then taken off his head and Merlin stared into the eyes of the Great Dragon. Merlin could see the soldiers retreating out of the corner of his eye but he didn't care. The dragon was giving him such a ferocious look that it drove everything else out of his mind.

The warlock breathed hard through his gag and he couldn't help but tremble. The Great Dragon then roared and let loose a stream of fire from his mouth. Expecting death, Merlin closed his eyes but felt nothing. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was surrounded by a ring of fire. He began to choke as the smoke filled the air around him.

Merlin felt for the magic but within seconds the dragon had him pinned to the ground with one mighty claw. He let out a low growl before looking away from the warlock and lighting the ground around them with one enormous breath. Merlin gasped as the intense heat hit him.

The Great Dragon then took to the air and flew towards the city. Merlin tried to scramble to his knees but the smoke was blinding him and choking him. The gag made it even harder to breathe.

* * *

Arthur ran along the battlements, away from the roaring fire that the beast had just let loose. Despite what was happening, Arthur was thinking of other matters. He knew that his father had been wrong about handing Merlin over to the dragon. His father hadn't been to see him in his chambers but Sir Leon had collected him when the dragon had started to attack again.

The prince had no idea if Merlin was still alive; the dragon could have eaten him for all he knew, or worse. Arthur just prayed that Merlin was somehow still alive.

Running through the castle, Arthur sprinted into the courtyard and he and a number of soldiers went into the main street and towards the main gate.

The dragon suddenly stopped attacking the castle and flew to the clearing outside the city. Doubling his efforts, Arthur ran through the gate just in time to see the dragon hover over a twitching form.

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted.

* * *

Merlin choked once more as the smoke replaced oxygen. He felt incredibly weak and knew that he wasn't strong enough to use magic. He tried to pull his arms free from the ropes but nothing happened. All it achieved was the bonds digging into his wrists.

The warlock lay still as the effort had just cost him vital energy. He was blind and could hear nothing but the fire around him, licking away at the ground. He was trapped and he couldn't even do anything about it.

After what could have been forever and a day, Merlin felt a strong breeze hit him and a golden blur hovered above him. Merlin tried to wriggle away when he realised that the Great Dragon had finally come for him. This was a mistake as he lost what was left of his energy. Before he lost consciousness, Merlin thought he heard Arthur call his name.

* * *

Arthur watched as the dragon grabbed Merlin and began to fly away from the citadel.

"MERLIN!" he called again, running after the beast. The soldiers were trying to stop him but Arthur was too worried for his servant to care. He watched as the beast headed towards the distant forest.

"Sire," one of the soldiers shouted. "We must return to the citadel."

Glaring after the dragon, Arthur turned around, swearing that he would find the dragon and, hopefully, Merlin.


	2. Father and Son

**Chapter 2: Father and Son**

Merlin groaned as he returned to consciousness. He opened his eyes and stared around the dark cave. His hands and legs were no longer tied and reaching up he pulled the gag out of his mouth, coughing at the smoky smell of material.

Looking at his wrists, Merlin saw that they were raw red from where the ropes had dug into them and a few droplets of blood glistened on the marks.

"I see you have recovered, young warlock."

Merlin looked up to see the Great Dragon lying in front of the mouth of the cave that they were in. Feeling a rush of anger, the warlock reached for his magic and threw a spell at the dragon. Within seconds, the dragon had him pinned with his huge claw again and Merlin's head bashed hard against a rock.

Dazed, Merlin felt himself lifted off the ground and brought towards the dragon's head. Thinking that he was about to eat him, Merlin tried and failed to get out of the Great Dragon's claw.

"I'm not going to do anything to you, Merlin."

"Then what do you want with me? I'm not about to help you destroy Camelot."

"I am your kin Merlin, and kin help one another."

"I'm nothing like you."

Merlin threw another spell at the Great Dragon, who recoiled, and Merlin felt himself crash onto the floor. Looking, he could see that various sharp pieces of rock had cut into him but he didn't care. Yelling another spell, Merlin backed against the wall of the cave.

In his fury, the dragon threw a jet of fire at Merlin but the warlock easily blocked it. Regaining control of himself, the Great Dragon leant towards Merlin and watched as the boy sink to the floor. He was losing a fair amount of blood.

"Let me help you."

"I don't need help!" The warlock was furiously trying to stand back up but every time he tried he winced in pain. The damage was more serious than he had thought.

"I am going to help you Merlin."

The warlock tried one last spell, which just bounced off of the dragon's hide.

The Great Dragon was impressed. Even when weak and in pain, Merlin was attempting to remain strong and defiant.

"I knew I would have had to do this anyway but you leave me with no choice but to take away your will. I am truly sorry. Just remember that nothing is as it seems."

Merlin trembled with panic and confusion as to what the dragon had said, but to his surprise the creature didn't attack. Instead he curved his tail around his huge body and held it in front of him. Then, to Merlin's shock, the dragon bit the tip of his tail and roared in pain. A green liquid began to drip from the end.

The Great Dragon then turned to Merlin and once again used a claw to pin him against the wall. The warlock struggled weakly in his grip but couldn't break free. With his other claw, the Great Dragon ripped off Merlin's shirt but accidentally caught Merlin's skin with his talons. Merlin jerked with agony, allowing a small whimper to escape his lips. The dragon then raised his tail and plunged the tip into Merlin's stomach.

Merlin howled with pain and the dragon immediately felt a rush of pity. Not many had ever gone through what Merlin was suffering now.

Collapsing onto his side, Merlin began to twitch, his eyes rolling around in his head. His breathing was becoming increasingly laboured.

Careful not to hurt the warlock any further, the Great Dragon cautiously moved until he was curved around Merlin, his bulk pressing against the warlock's. He wasn't sure if Merlin could feel his body warmth.

Looking down at Merlin, he could see that the boy's eyes were closed but he continued to shake.

"_Merlin?_" the dragon thought, connecting his mind to Merlin's. A single word reverberated inside his head.

"_Why?_"

The warlock was still conscious but only barely and he was slipping away by the second.

"_I_ _am truly sorry, young warlock_."

The Great Dragon felt Merlin finally slip away into darkness as the pain became too much and the small body next to him went limp. He then began to murmur a number of spells, allowing his magic to envelope the warlock.

Laying his head on the cave floor, he watched Merlin's pale form spasm every now and again. The dragon could feel the ichor that was his blood pass into Merlin's bloodstream and he could hear Merlin's already frantic heart beat faster as the boy struggled to remain alive. The dragon knew that he would live but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt.

Eventually, Merlin's body became accustomed to the ichor. The Great Dragon could see a few drops of Merlin's blood and the ichor fall from where his tail still stuck into the warlock. Now all he could do was wait until he could leave the warlock to cope with the change by himself.

* * *

Arthur watched as Gaius sat down in a chair.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have let them take him so easily."

"He gave himself up, didn't he?" Gaius whispered. Arthur nodded. Gaius sighed, and Arthur knew that he didn't want to know what would happen to Gaius if Merlin turned out to be dead.

"I'm still going to find that Dragonlord," Arthur said. "But I need you to come with me."

"Of course. Have you told your father?"

"I'm going to now. I'm packed so if you start now, we can leave when I return."

Gaius nodded silently and Arthur turned to the door but turned around again.

"When we get back, Gaius, I'm going to find him, even if I have to get past my father's soldiers to do it. He never deserved anything like this to happen to him and I'm going to make sure he comes home."

Gaius smiled at him and Arthur knew that neither of them had to say anything.

* * *

Uther looked up as Arthur entered his chambers.

"Gaius and I are about to leave to search for the Dragonlord."

Uther stood up.

"Arthur, it is far too dangerous."

"Father, I need to find him otherwise even more people will die."

"Is this because of your servant?"

The king noticed Arthur's jaw clench and his eyes looked suddenly sad.

"What if more people end up like him? I don't want that and I know you don't either. This Balinor could be able to stop the Dragon long enough for me to kill it."

Uther nodded.

"Very well. I wish you luck."

He walked up to his son and clapped him on the shoulder. Arthur looked slightly startled.

"That was a very brave thing you did, Arthur. A king needs to know who his friends are, something that I forgot. Not many would do what you did for a servant."

Arthur smiled, recognising this as an apology. Nodding in acknowledgement, Arthur left his father's chambers.

* * *

The pair rode through the countryside, a bit slower than Arthur was used to. Gaius wasn't exactly young anymore.

It was near sunset when they reached the border to Cenred's kingdom and they didn't hesitate. Riding through the forest, they were just in time to arrive at an inn when it started to pour with rain.

Tying up their horses, Arthur and Gaius walked into the inn where the raucous laughter suddenly at stopped and everybody stared at them.

"Greetings," Arthur said. Gaius stared at him. A man pulled a knife out of the table he was sitting at.

Ignoring the stares, the two sat down at a table and ordered a couple of drinks. When the barman returned, he bashed the tray onto the table, slopping the drinks everywhere.

"We're looking for a man called Balinor," Arthur said. Gaius wasn't too sure about Arthur's tactics. "I'm willing to pay handsomely." Arthur pushed a pouch of money towards the barman.

The man cocked his head and Arthur leant forwards.

"Never heard of him." The barman took the tip for the drinks, leaving the pouch behind.

"Are any of these men Balinor?" Arthur asked Gaius.

"No, he's not here."

"So we have no leads."

"Something will turn up."

After finishing their drinks, the two went up to a room they had booked for the night.

"Are you alright, Sire?" Gaius asked, watching Arthur struggle to take off his shirt without upsetting the wound.

"I'm fine. It's not as bad as before."

Arthur turned to Gaius.

"Do you think Merlin's still alive, Gaius?"

Gaius bit his lip.

"I hope so."

In truth, Gaius was quite sure that Merlin was alive. He knew that the dragon wouldn't kill him because Merlin was kin to the dragon as a creature of the Old Religion, and he was also Balinor's son, though the Great Dragon didn't know that. Gaius was just afraid of what the dragon could do to Merlin until they returned with Balinor.

"Don't tell him I said this, but he's actually the best servant I ever had."

Gaius chuckled at Arthur's honesty.

"What?" Arthur said.

"Are you sure about the servant thing? Permit me to say Arthur, but the way you two go on at each other is like two best friends or, at an extension, brothers."

Arthur made a face.

"I wouldn't go that far."

"If you say so."

Arthur lay down on the bed and rolled over onto his side. Gaius did the same and pretty soon the pair were asleep.

Sometime later, the door creaked pen and a shadowy figure crept into the room. Walking over to Arthur's bed, the person reached out for the prince's bag.

A hand shot out and the man looked up into the severe face of Prince Arthur. Grabbing a dagger, Arthur shoved the man against Gaius' bed. The physician continued to sleep despite the confrontation that was going on at the bottom of his bed.

"Do you know what the penalty is for stealing?" Arthur whispered.

"Please, I've got children to feed," the man whimpered.

"If you want to live then you'll tell me where I can find Balinor."

"Balinor?"

"You know him?"

"It's been many years since I saw him."

"But you know where he is?"

The man sighed, his eyes on Arthur's dagger.

"You must travel through the Forest of Merendray to the foot of Fayorei Mountain. There is the cave where Balinor dwells."

Arthur withdrew the dagger.

"But don't get your hopes up."

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"Balinor hates everyone and everything. A cave's the best place for him." The man then ran for the door and disappeared down the stairs. Arthur watched him go then turned to the old man.

"Gaius," he said, shaking the physician awake.

"Arthur?" Gaius muttered. "What time is it?"

"We need to get going. Someone just broke into our room and I don't know who else will try. But before I let him go, I managed to get Balinor's location out of him."

Gaius nodded and the pair got dressed and crept out of the inn and made for the horses. Saddling up, Arthur and Gaius left the village and left for the forest.

* * *

Gaius looked out at the foggy countryside, scanning the area and spotting the mountain.

"It's there," he said, pointing it out to Arthur. Arthur squinted through the fog and saw that Gaius was right.

"How long do you think it'll take us to get there?"

"Not long. We don't have to climb the mountain."

Arthur shrugged his shoulders and the two carried on, though Arthur was aware of a pain growing inside him from the wound. He didn't want to worry Gaius because the old man had a number of other things to worry about, mainly Merlin.

When the two reached the bottom of the mountain, the fog had cleared and they could clearly see where the mouth of the cave was. Dismounting, the pair walked into the cave, careful not to slip and fall into the river.

The cave was incredibly dark and neither of them could see any sign of human life until Arthur noticed a number of belongings and a bed on the floor, lying around a corner of the cave.

"What do you want?" a gruff voice called. The two spun around to see a man standing in the mouth of the cave.

"Balinor?" Gaius called.

"Who's asking?" The figure walked towards them, until his face came into relief.

The man had dark brown eyes and matted, long grey hair and a grey beard. He was rather broad and had a fierce look in his eyes. That was when he spotted Gaius.

"Gaius? What are you doing here? Who is this?"

Balinor studied Arthur more closely and stared at him in shock.

"This is Cenred's kingdom. The pair of you have a lot of nerve coming here. You're asking for trouble."

"It's a matter of life and death," Arthur said. "We need your help. My father needs your help."

"I am not going to help Uther."

"Balinor, Kilgharrah is free and attacking Camelot," Gaius said.

"Who's Kilgharrah?" Arthur asked.

"The dragon," Gaius explained, not taking his eyes off Balinor.

"He wants vengeance," Balinor said. "Let him have it."

"Hang on," Arthur said, outraged. "Innocent people are dying. They have done nothing to deserve that. My servant was taken by the dragon and I swore I'd get him back, dead or alive."

The prince stepped forward but felt a sudden explosion of pain in his shoulder. He suddenly succumbed to blackness.

Gaius and Balinor saw Arthur collapse and the physician rushed to him. Examining the wound, he saw that it had become infected and needed immediate treatment.

"Here Gaius," Balinor said, lifting Arthur off the floor and lying him in the bed.

For the next hour or so, the pair set about trying to heal Arthur's wounds and Gaius was relieved to see that their methods proved very effective. Gaius watched as Balinor whispered an ancient prayer after they had dealt with Arthur's wound.

"Thank you, Balinor."

Balinor didn't reply but busied himself with making a fire.

"I know that you do not want to help Camelot-"

"You're right, I don't."

"But I'm begging you to. You once said you'd repay me somehow and I'm begging you to help me save the people I care about."

"Gaius, the minute I show up in Camelot, Uther will have me executed. He asked me to make peace with Kilgharrah and he betrayed me. I used my powers for him and because of that Kilgharrah was in that cave for about twenty years. What I can't understand is how he got out. I heard the chain was unbreakable."

Gaius looked at the floor.

"The servant that Arthur mentioned, he has very powerful magic. He freed the dragon and now the dragon has him."

"He's mad to live there. Uther would have him killed."

"Balinor, he's the warlock that has been prophesised about for centuries."

Balinor frowned.

"Are you saying that this servant is Emrys?"

"His name's Merlin and, yes, he is Emrys."

"Then Kilgharrah should know not to harm him," Balinor said.

"Merlin and Kilgharrah haven't been that friendly towards each other lately. I'm afraid that Kilgharrah will make him feel how he felt when stuck in the cave."

Gaius took a deep breath.

"Balinor, you need to come back for Merlin's sake. He needs you. And Hunith would never forgive me if anything happened to him."

"Hunith? Is she alive? Is she alright?"

Gaius could see the worry in Balinor's face, meaning that he was still deeply in love with her just as she was with him.

"She's fine and she's still living in Ealdor."

"What has the boy got to do with her?"

"He's her son."

A look of hurt crossed Balinor's face at the words. "She married," he said, forcing a smile. "That's good. I didn't want her to wait around for me because I knew I'd never see her again."

"Balinor, she never married. She's still in love with you. Merlin is your son."

Balinor froze. "My son?"

Gaius nodded. "Do you see now why he needs _you_?"

"What's he like?"

Gaius smiled. "He has a pure heart and he tries to see good in others. Sometimes he can be a bit clumsy and Arthur is forever calling him an idiot."

Balinor laughed.

"He also has this self sacrificing deficiency. I've lost count how many times he's saved all our lives. Without him, we'd all be dead."

"Wait, does Uther know about him?"

"Only I do. He's told nobody about his gifts and we're going to keep it that way until Camelot is ready."

Balinor gave a sigh of relief.

"So, are you going to help?"

"I'll help, because there are still people who helped me in Camelot. And I want to save my son."

Gaius nodded and the pair smiled at each other.


	3. Arrival

**Chapter 3: Arrival**

Balinor looked up from the river as Gaius and Arthur came out of the cave. The prince had healed from the wound inflicted by Kilgharrah and seemed to be rather pleased about something.

"Thank you for agreeing to come back to Camelot," he thanked the Dragonlord.

"I'm only helping because I owe it to a number of people." Arthur nodded.

"Are we ready to leave?" Balinor asked Gaius.

"Yes but you don't have a horse."

"I'll walk. It may be a bit slower than you're used to but we can't do anything about it."

"You could always have my horse," Arthur said.

"That is very kind of you, Sire, but I'm used to walking for many miles at a time."

A few minutes later, the three set off, Balinor walking and Gaius and Arthur on the two horses.

As they went, Arthur turned to the Dragonlord.

"Where did you go after my father ordered your arrest?"

Balinor looked surprised by the question.

"There was a village that I hid in outside your father's kingdom. I had a good life there with a good woman."

Gaius looked at Balinor. Surely he wasn't about to tell Arthur that Merlin was his son.

"She took me in when everybody else rejected me because they feared that Uther would hunt them to. But she wasn't afraid. She just wanted to do what she felt to be right.

But your father was determined to kill me. He sent soldiers to the village and I had to abandon her, though I never stopped loving her."

Arthur was slightly stunned to hear this. His father's hatred for magic had ripped loved ones apart, Gwen and her father being two of them. Here again was evidence that his father's persistence was tearing lives to pieces.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You were too young when all of this happened."

Arthur didn't feel like saying anything else. Turning his mind away from the conversation, the prince thought of Merlin and once again prayed that he was still alive and that the dragon hadn't hurt him.

Because they were going so slow, the three only managed to reach the outskirts of the town that Gaius and Arthur had stayed in the night before. Setting up camp, Gaius watched as Balinor took a piece of wood and began to carve something out of it. Arthur sat and watched as well but none of them talked. Arthur and Gaius were too worried about Camelot and Merlin.

The next day, they quickly packed camp and left. At one point they spotted some of Cenred's men and hid but they went unnoticed.

Once they had returned to Uther's kingdom, they relaxed somewhat as they had remained undetected from Cenred and his men. They spent the rest of the day trekking back towards Camelot and it was only at nightfall that they spotted the citadel. But to their shock, the Great Dragon was once again attacking the city and the screams of people echoed through the countryside. The dragon then turned around and flew towards the northern forest, leaving chaos behind him.

Balinor stared on in horror at how weakened Camelot appeared to be.

"Gaius, we need to take you back, they'll need your help," Balinor said and broke into a run. Apparently he wasn't exhausted from walking all day.

The three rushed through the forest and up to the gates of Camelot.

"I'm going to go to him," Balinor said.

"Not on your own, you're not," Arthur said.

"Take my horse, Balinor, I'll walk back up to the castle and let Uther know what's going on."

Gaius dismounted, allowing the Dragonlord to jump onto the horse. Balinor nodded at the physician and then he and Arthur turned around and galloped towards the mountains.

"Can't you just summon the dragon?"

"Not unless you want to find your servant."

The prince sighed but began to worry about Merlin once again. Would he be dead or alive when they found him?

They pushed the horses towards the trees, remaining silent the entire way. When they were some way into the forest that they couldn't even make out the stars through the canopy of branches, they heard an almighty roar coming from a nearby cave that led underground.

"He can smell us," Balinor muttered as the pair clambered off of their horses.

"So much for the element of surprise," Arthur muttered, drawing his sword.

The two edged towards the mouth of the cave and Balinor stared around the edge. He briefly spotted Kilgharrah staring at the cave mouth before whipping his head back around.

"He's waiting for us," Balinor whispered to Arthur. "You stay here. If you went in first, he'd most likely kill you."

Arthur looked reluctant but nodded. Balinor took in a deep breath and jumped into the cavern.

When Kilgharrah saw him, he was taken aback. He too had been under the impression that all of the Dragonlords were dead.

"Where's the boy, Kilgharrah?" Balinor asked in a gruff voice. Arthur frowned as he spotted something in the man's voice that sounded like worry.

"And what concern is he of yours?" the Dragon asked, his voice quite calm, considering the shock he had just received.

Balinor didn't answer the question but drew his sword.

Arthur then decided to enter and he walked calmly into the cave and stood next to the Dragonlord.

"Ah, the young Pendragon." Kilgharrah inclined his head. "It is an honour to finally meet you."

"If it's an honour, then why are you trying to kill me and my people?" Arthur spat. Balinor held out a hand in front of Arthur as a warning.

"All I desire is vengeance," the Dragon told them.

"Then what has Merlin got to do with it?"

Balinor was now wary that Kilgharrah could tell the prince that Merlin was a warlock.

"The boy has a very interesting mind," Kilgharrah explained. "He is the only one in Camelot that could be adaptable."

"Adaptable?"

"He is selfless and pure. He tries to see the good in everyone and everything. I have seen this ever since he came to Camelot. No one else is like him, apart from you, though his mind is more perceptive than yours."

"Merlin would never hurt anybody."

"I know that, however I have had to take away his will."

That was when Kilgharrah shifted his large body to reveal a huge egg that had been behind him. Arthur looked at Balinor.

"Do the male dragons lay the eggs?" Balinor didn't reply but stared at the egg in apparent horror. He then looked at the Dragon.

"You didn't."

"It is the only way. It will make him stronger."

"No it isn't the only way. I know you want revenge, Kilgharrah, but that doesn't mean you can do _this_."

"What it is?" Arthur asked.

"He's... I can't exactly put it into words... but he's changed your manservant." Balinor glared at Kilgharrah. "I would've thought you knew the danger you were putting the boy in when you did this."

"He is stronger than you give credit."

"It's not a matter of strength. The change can kill some people."

"What has Merlin got to do with that egg?" Arthur asked. "How has he changed?"

"He's inside the egg," Balinor explained.

Arthur's eyes widened with shock. "Oh my God," he muttered.

There was a sudden tapping noise. Kilgharrah turned to look at the egg and both Balinor and Arthur's gaze was glued to it. A small crack appeared in the object. There was another tap and a hand punched through the shell and stretched out its fingers. The hand was covered with some sort of pale green goo. The smell was appalling. The egg continued to crack until there was a crumbling noise and the shell fell to the floor.

Lying on the floor was some sort of creature but it features were obscured by two enormous wings. Arthur thought for a fleeting moment that it was some sort of angel. The creature than stood up and began to unfold its damp wings.

Balinor grabbed Arthur's arm and pulled him back but Arthur was transfixed.

The creature was Merlin. He was missing his shirt and a healed gash was stretched across his stomach. The wings stretching out of his back were pure white and feathery, supporting Arthur's thought of an angel. However, his eyes had changed from deep blue to a burning gold and Arthur saw that, to his horror, a long tail was sticking out the back of Merlin's trousers, swaying from side to side. The boy was still covered with the green goo.

"Merlin?" Arthur said, stepping forwards. Merlin looked at him and sneered, displaying pointed teeth, just like a dragon's.

"What have you done?" Balinor asked Kilgharrah. The dragon did not answer.

At this, Merlin extended his wings and shot into the air. He began to head towards the mouth of the cave and would have succeeded in leaving if Arthur hadn't jumped up and grabbed him by the leg. Merlin crashed back down to the floor and Arthur leapt on him, pinning him to the floor.

Arthur could tell that Merlin was now very angry.


	4. Ichor

**Chapter 4: Ichor**

Immediately, Merlin began to struggle with Arthur and soon the two were rolling around on the floor. Eventually, Arthur had Merlin with his back to the floor again.

"Merlin, snap out of it!" Arthur shouted. Merlin snarled at him and tried to break free.

That was when Balinor jumped on the warlock and dragged him away from Arthur. Merlin tried to fight and growled.

"Wake up boy," Balinor whispered.

Suddenly, Kilgharrah struck out with his tail and Balinor smacked into the wall.

"Balinor!" Arthur shouted. He then looked at the warlock, who was staring at him. Arthur thought that if looks could kill then he'd already be dead.

"Merlin, come on. You're stronger than this. You may act like a girl at times and you may be an idiot but I know you and you'd never let anything happen to Camelot if you could help it. If you do have a strong mind then you can fight him." He pointed at the dragon.

Merlin roared in the most un-Merlin-like way imaginable and took to the air again. This time, Arthur couldn't stop him. There was another rush of wings and the Great Dragon followed the warlock out.

"Damn it," Balinor muttered, clambering to his feet. "We have to stop them. If Merlin kills anyone then there is no turning back for him. He'd be under the dragon's control forever."

Arthur felt a rush of anxiety sweep through him.

* * *

Sir Leon looked up at the two figures that were approaching the group of Knights.

The king had ordered them to follow after Prince Arthur, who had gone with the Dragonlord according to Gaius. Now they were halfway through the forest and had come across a large clearing, but suddenly, looking up, they saw that they were being approached by the dragon and another form.

Once the two figures had landed, Sir Leon felt a ripple of shock and horror. Arthur's manservant, the boy who most thought dead, was standing right in front of them but he looked incredibly different. He had pure white wings, his eyes were golden and, unless Sir Leon was mistaken, he had a tail.

The dragon them stared at Merlin intently and the boy walked backwards until he was in the dragon's shadow, his mouth breaking out into a sneer.

"God have mercy," Leon muttered as the servant stood in front of them.

The Dragon then let forth a torrent of fire.

"MOVE!" Leon shouted and the men spurred their horses away from the flames. Only a few survived. The rest were sent to the floor.

Leon looked up to see Merlin suddenly standing over him. Close up, the Knight could see Merlin's pointed teeth. If he hadn't had the teeth and tail, the servant could have passed as an angel. There was also a disfiguring mark on the boy's stomach as if he'd been cut open and healed.

Leon could see the dragon watch Merlin almost anxiously. It was as if the beast didn't want Merlin to do what was inevitable.

"No, Merlin," the Dragon murmured to the warlock. Leon had no idea what he meant by it but Merlin stepped away back towards the dragon. Though Leon was pained to do so, he knew that he might have to kill the boy to ensure Camelot's safety. He grabbed his sword and ran at the boy.

Enraged, the Dragon shot a stream of fire at Leon but missed. The Knight collided with Merlin and shoved him to the floor. The warlock lay on his side, having hit his head on a rock. Leon watched as the boy's eyes half closed.

There was the sudden thundering of hooves and the group of Knights saw Arthur and another man, obviously the Dragonlord, galloping towards them.

"Stop!" Arthur shouted. "Don't hurt him!"

Arthur jumped off his horse and ran at Leon, dragging him away from Merlin.

"He's being controlled by the dragon," he shouted. "Get out of here."

"Sire, I have orders to secure your well-being."

"Arthur!" Balinor shouted.

Arthur spun around to see the dragon lift Merlin off the ground with a massive claw. The warlock looked unconscious. "What did you do?" he asked Leon.

"He hit his head on a rock," the Knight explained.

"Kilgharrah, give us back the boy and I won't take away your will," Balinor suddenly said to the Dragon.

"If you take away my will to kill me then you condemn the boy," Kilgharrah explained. "He and I are bonded through blood." Balinor looked shocked.

"You didn't?"

Kilgharrah didn't answer but instead spun around and flew back towards the forest and the cavern.

"What's wrong?"Arthur asked the Dragonlord.

"He may have just condemned the boy to a very painful death. He used enchantments to change Merlin but if you use dragon ichor then if anything happens to either of them he'll die from the poisoning and there is no cure."

"Can it be reversed?"

"Only if he isn't harmed in any way. Blood cannot be drawn."

Arthur turned to Leon.

"Was there any blood when he hit his head?"

"No, Sire."

Arthur sighed.

"I need you and the others to get back to the city. This must be handled with the utmost delicacy and the dragon may cause more damage if we all go to that forest. You must ready the soldiers in case the dragon gets away and decides to attack the city again. I don't care if you're waiting all night; the priority is Camelot and its people's safety."

"What shall we tell the king?" Leon asked.

"Tell him that my servant's mind has been enslaved to the dragon's will and myself and Balinor are doing all we can to stop it."

"Shall I tell him about the... change your servant has undergone?"

"I don't know, you may as well but make sure he understands that none of this is Merlin's fault. He won't take too lightly to a servant attacking Knights."

Leon nodded and motioned for the other soldiers to follow him as he climbed back onto his horse and galloped back towards the city.

Arthur turned back to Balinor.

"Do you think you can reverse what the dragon's done to Merlin?"

"I can, but it will take time and Merlin would need to be strong."

"What?"

"The only way to get rid of dragon ichor is to bleed it out of your system."

"So we'd need to cut Merlin. But you said that by drawing blood-"

"A number of enchantments need to be performed before doing so. This will stop the ichor from becoming dangerous."

"Looks like we need to get going again."

Balinor gripped Arthur's shoulder.

"He will try to fight us, Arthur, but you need to make sure that you don't hurt him. The ichor has the power of life and death."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It isn't. None would ever want to be in that position."

"Has it ever happened to anybody before?"

"Only once or twice, but it was an experiment. The ichor may be poisonous when drawn but it can give the person incredible power and strength."

"Oh great, so Merlin is a lot stronger."

"And the dragon will use him to channel magic."

Arthur gulped and clambered onto his horse. Balinor could guess that he didn't want to think of his servant using magic.

The two rode back to the mountain and once more ran into the cave. Kilgharrah was waiting for them and so was an irate Merlin.

Merlin then raised his hand and Arthur felt himself thrown against the wall. When he tried to get back up, he found that he was stuck fast. Arthur stared at his servant. He had just used magic. Balinor had been right.

The warlock then flew at Balinor and the two went tumbling to the floor. The dragon merely watched, apparently interested. Arthur was surprised at this.

Merlin had managed to pin his father to the floor but Balinor managed to grab his wrists.

"Merlin, wake up," he hissed. "You're still in there somewhere so you just have to fight it. Don't let Kilgharrah control you like this. If he chose you, then that means you have a brilliant mind, so use it."

Merlin didn't respond but continued to wrestle with the Dragonlord on the ground. Balinor made a sudden move which reversed their positions. He then lowered his mouth next to Merlin's ear and whispered something that only Merlin heard.

"Son."

Immediately, Merlin stopped struggling. Behind him, Balinor heard Kilgharrah shift uncomfortably.

Merlin then gripped at his head and writhed on the floor.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, suddenly finding that he could move again. He was at his servant's side in seconds.

"What have you done, Balinor?" Kilgharrah roared.

"I haven't done anything. He's fighting you for his will."

The dragon then reared his head and let loose an inferno of fire. Balinor would have surely perished if Merlin's next actions hadn't saved him. The warlock threw himself in front of his father and held out his hand. The fire dissipated inches away from them. Merlin collapsed again and moaned as he fought for control.

"Why do you want him so much?" Arthur shouted. "He's only a servant. He may have an interesting mind but he has nothing to do with my father's war against magic."

"Then why is he repeatedly saving you and your father from your enemies? This boy is special, Pendragon. You just don't understand how much."

"That doesn't mean you can use him to kill."

"No one ever said anything about that, but that doesn't mean that I won't kill your father myself."

Enraged, Arthur ran at the dragon.

"ARTHUR!" Balinor shouted.

Kilgharrah raised his tail and swung it at Arthur. But instead of hitting the prince, his tail collided with a figure that had just jumped in front of Arthur. The dragon roared in horror as Merlin hit the wall of the cave.

"No!" Arthur and Balinor shouted in unison. The pair ran towards the warlock.

"Oh Merlin, you idiot," Arthur muttered as he turned Merlin over. To his horror, he saw that the dragon's tail had left a deep cut in Merlin's chest and blood was dripping from his head.

"Look what you've done," Balinor shouted at Kilgharrah.

As they watched, Merlin began to tremble and yelped in pain.

"Merlin, can you hear me?" Arthur asked.

"Ar...thur," Merlin muttered. "What...happened? Dragon... tail... my stomach..."

"Merlin, you're gonna be alright, you just need to hang in there," Arthur said, forcing himself not to cry. Balinor had made it perfectly clear what would happen if one drop of Merlin's blood was spilt and now they would be living that horror.

"Arthur we need Gaius," Balinor said.

"I'm not leaving him."

"I'm not leaving you with Kilgharrah so that I can get him. It has to be you. Now go."

Arthur took one last look at Merlin.

"Don't die," he muttered and ran out of the cave, mounting his horse.


	5. Love For A Son

**Chapter 5: Love for a Son**

Balinor glared up at Kilgharrah as he cradled Merlin's body. The boy now had a fever and it was becoming worse by the second.

"Are you happy now?" Balinor said to the dragon. "You've more than likely just killed an innocent boy."

"That was not my intent."

"You knew what danger you were putting him in. You know just how important he is. You may have condemned the future just so you could kill Uther."

"It was only to make the boy stronger. I never meant for him to kill anyone."

"He's strong already. He just proved that by breaking free of your control."

"I am sorry."

Balinor looked back down at Merlin. The boy's forehead was creased as he tried to fight the fever, his body trembling and his eyes rolling around, blindly. Balinor drew him closer and rocked him back and forth. Kilgharrah noted this bit of affection. Merlin then moaned and coughed, green ichor dribbling from his mouth.

"Ssh," Balinor whispered, wiping the dragon blood off the boy's face.

"Why are you already so caring towards a boy you've only just met?" Kilgharrah asked, curiously.

Balinor glared back up at the dragon.

"He's my son." The words caused Kilgharrah to reel with shock as he realised just how much damage he could have caused. If Merlin was Balinor's son then when he received his powers as a Dragonlord then he'd be the last Dragonlord. The dragon realised that he had just put all of this in jeopardy.

"And I'm going to finish the job I was meant to for him, even if it means that I make the worst decision of my life."

"I know what you must do, Balinor."

Kilgharrah relaxed as Balinor laid Merlin's form on the ground and drew his sword, walking towards the beast.

A hand suddenly grabbed the Dragonlord's foot. Looking back round, Balinor saw that Merlin was lucid, the now blue eyes, which were so like his mother's, boring into his. Dropping back down, Balinor supported his son.

"Don't... Let him go... In his head... Lonely... Doesn't deserve... to die..." Merlin slumped again as the fever took over once more. He was shaking badly and as the two watched, Merlin coughed up more ichor and this time some of his own blood.

Balinor turned back to Kilgharrah. "Leave, Kilgharrah," he said, gently. "I can see what he means."

"Thank you."

"It's not me you should be thanking. Even after all the pain you've caused him, Merlin is willing to let you live. Never forget that he granted you clemency, Kilgharrah. And make sure you look after him when he is in need."

"You're not..." It suddenly struck Kilgharrah what Balinor was intending to do now.

"He is my son and he must live. I cannot bear for him to die. He is too important to me; and he looks so much like his mother." Balinor hushed Merlin as he whimpered in pain.

Kilgharrah nodded and headed towards the cave mouth.

"Goodbye old friend," he said, looking back at Balinor. "I am sorry for what I have done."

Balinor nodded and Kilgharrah stepped out of the cave and vanished into the air.

Turning back to his son, Balinor picked him off the floor and staggered over to his horse. Making sure that no movement hurt Merlin, he clambered onto the creature and then turned it south-west. He was going to the Isle of the Blessed.

* * *

"Gwen, go back," Arthur said as Gwen followed him and Gaius to the stables. "This is something you can't do."

"You're not the only ones who don't want to see Merlin dead," she retorted.

"I could do with the spare pair of hands," Gaius told Arthur. The prince rolled his eyebrows and said nothing more on the subject.

Once Gwen and Gaius had readied a horse, the three spurred their mounts out of the city and towards the mountains. When they got there, Arthur was shocked to see that Balinor's horse wasn't there anymore.

"Balinor?" Arthur shouted after dismounting. Running into the cave, he found that the Dragon, Balinor and Merlin were gone.

"Damn it!" Arthur cursed, kicking at a rock. "They could be anywhere."

"Arthur, there's something on the floor," Gwen pointed out. Rushing over, Gaius and Arthur read four words.

Isle of the Blessed.

"What's the Isle of the Blessed?" Gwen asked.

"It's a place of magic. It is protected by centuries of powerful sorcery."

"Why has Balinor taken Merlin there?" Arthur asked.

"I have no idea. He's probably trying to save Merlin- the Isle of the Blessed is a place of healing." Inside himself, Gaius felt relief at the chance of Merlin living but sadness at the thought of Balinor dying, for he knew that was what must be happening if Balinor had taken Merlin there. Both father and son hadn't had the chance to get to know each other and now that chance looked practically impossible. Hunith would also be devastated when she heard about it.

* * *

Merlin's eyes flickered open as he felt a slight rocking that made him feel even worse. His head hurt as did practically every single part of him.

Looking up, the warlock saw his father clutching him.

"Where..."

"We're on the boat to the Isle of the Blessed," Balinor explained.

It took a few moments for the words to sink in but when they did, Merlin felt a lurch of panic.

"No... Don't... please..."

"Merlin, do you really think that I'd let my own son die?"

"My fault... Don't... because of me..."

Merlin groaned again as the pain increased. He felt himself slip away and the next thing he knew was that he was lying on a stone altar. Opening his eyes, he saw an all too familiar silver goblet. He also felt quite wet. Spotting his father, Merlin gave him an inquisitorial look.

"You... can... life and death..."

"No, you did it. You seemed to respond to me whilst you were unconscious just now. It appears all of the High Priestesses are dead."

"Please... don't... Don't want you...to die..."

Merlin coughed again and he felt a horrible sensation in the back of his throat. He then vomited a mouthful of ichor and his own blood.

Balinor comforted him as he continued to cough painfully. The Dragonlord could see that his son was losing colour by the second and was close to death. The boy's eyes were closed again and his breathing was slow and strained.

"Merlin, I am so sorry but this has to be done."

Drawing out a dagger, Balinor brought it to the wound that Kilgharrah had created on Merlin's stomach and sliced it open. Merlin's eyes shot open again and he yelled from the agony.

The ichor began to trickle out of Merlin's wound and the boy jerked from the suffering. Balinor watched as he quickly hyperventilated from the pain, which was not helped by the other wound Kilgharrah had created with his tail.

The Dragonlord then grabbed the full goblet and brought it to Merlin's mouth. At first Merlin managed to struggle but the pain took him back to the brink of unconsciousness, so Balinor was able to tip a large amount of the water down his throat. The Dragonlord drank the rest.

Immediately, Balinor felt sick and he felt his knees buckle. Merlin, who had just opened his eyes, saw his father fall to the floor.

"NO!" he shouted, falling off of the altar after him. Crashing to the floor, Merlin groaned with pain.

Balinor drew his son's weak form towards him and hushed him again as the boy coughed once more.

"What... have you... done?" Merlin said. "You'll... die..."

"Do you think I want to watch my own son die instead? I don't think so."

"But-"

"Merlin, I haven't known you but I know that you're strong. You managed to get Kilgharrah out of your head."

"You helped."

"But still you did it. And you threw yourself in the way for Arthur. I know that I can be proud to call you my son."

"Father..." Balinor felt a few seconds of joy at the word. He watched as tears slipped out of Merlin's eyes.

"You're not crying are you?"

"No... I just don't want you to do this... You weren't involved in... any of this..."

"I have to otherwise you'd die and so would the future. You're meant to protect Arthur so that he can become King and I know that you will do it."

"I've... just... found... you... I don't... want... to lose... you... now..." Merlin trembled as more of the ichor left his body from the reopened wound. However, he could see that his father was becoming worse by the second.

"Before... the Dragon took me... I thought I'd... be able... to take... you to see her..."

Balinor knew who he meant and chuckled.

"She wouldn't recognise me."

"Why did you never... come back?"

"I thought her life would be better without me. I couldn't take her with me. What life would the pair of you led if you were with me?"

"A happy... one..."

Balinor smiled but groaned as more of his life left him. Merlin, who had regained a lot of colour, crawled next to him so that they were both leaning against the altar.

"I see that the effects of the ichor are wearing off," Balinor muttered. Looking around, Merlin could see that the wings on his back had become slightly smaller and that the tail was now half of the size it had been. Moving his tongue across his teeth, Merlin felt the smoother edges.

The warlock turned back to his father and tried to smile but he ended up biting his lip. What would Arthur say if he saw his servant crying? But Merlin didn't care. This was his father and he was dying because of him.

"It is my fault," Merlin said, feeling stronger by the second, though the ichor continued to leave him along with his own blood. He felt as if he was having some sort of out-of-body experience as both wounds were hurting pretty badly.

"No it isn't," Balinor insisted.

"I let the dragon out. None of this would've happened if I hadn't been so stupid."

Balinor brought a hand to Merlin's temple.

"This is an old trick that I learnt many years ago."

Merlin's vision went blank and he felt himself collapse. He lay there, blind and unmoving, for what could have been forever until he regained his sight as Balinor withdrew his hand.

"What did you do?" Merlin asked.

"I just read your memories. I just saw what you've accomplished ever since you came to Camelot."

"There're mostly mistakes."

"No, they aren't. You've had to make some very hard decisions, some which grown men have never been faced with. Look at you now. I am so proud of you. I can die knowing that you're still alive."

Merlin failed to hold back more tears and they spilled down his cheeks and onto the ground. Looking down, to his terror, he saw that no more ichor was coming out of the wound. The only blood that was trickling down his body was his own. He was beginning to feel drained.

He then heard his father groan and Merlin grabbed him as he slumped.

"No! Please, no!" he whispered, cradling the Dragonlord.

Balinor smiled up at his son and gripped him on the shoulder. He then felt the rest of his life leave him.

The warlock stared as his father's eyes closed and the hand on his shoulder fell to the ground. For a few moments, Merlin sat there in shocked silence before a sob escaped him and he let the tears fall. He then raised his head to the sky and yelled a wordless scream for the entire world to hear.

Merlin cradled his father's body and painful memories crept forward. Gwen set to be burnt at the stake for something he had done; Will dying from an arrow wound after saving Arthur's life instead of Merlin giving himself up for the prince and Merlin not being able to save him; his mother nearly dying because he had failed to protect Arthur from the Questing Beast; Morgana choking from the poison he had given her; Gaius tied to the stake, about to be burnt alive after taking the fall for him; and Freya dying because he had failed to keep her safe. And now this. Merlin felt the shame creep into him, overwhelming him. Another person was dead because of his failures. He managed to keep Arthur alive, which was a miracle, but all of the others he loved had suffered because of him.

He sat there, mourning the death of his father, for many hours until the sun was nearing the west. Then, still crying, he tried to lift his father's body onto the altar and somehow succeeded. Merlin felt a wave of pain flow through him and he clutched his stomach and chest, breathing heavily through his nose.

There was a sudden roar from overhead and the warlock looked up to see Kilgharrah flying towards him. Merlin felt anger boil inside him but he wasn't sure he was strong enough to use magic.

The Dragon landed in front of him and bent his head forwards. "Young warlock, I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused you."

Merlin felt more tears fall to the ground. "Why?" he shouted. "Why did you do this?"

"I attacked the city because I wanted vengeance on the man who killed my race."

"Why me though? I may have magic but why should you choose me to kill the king?"

"Those who have shared blood with us dragons gain strength from their pain. You are not the first, though you may be the last. And I never actually said that I was going to use you to kill Uther, Merlin. I used my blood to make you more durable. You are the last Dragonlord now, Merlin, and you will need to be stronger with than ever before for the struggles that lie ahead of you. What I'd forgotten is how foolhardy humans can be. I didn't think that you'd overcome me that quickly and I'm afraid to say I let my anger get the better of me at times. But can you see why I attacked Camelot?"

"No, I don't."

"I never expected you to, just as I never expected you to kill Uther or anyone else."

"But I may have just as well killed my own father."

"Merlin, this is entirely my fault and I will bear full responsibility for what I have done. I had no idea that you were Balinor's son and I'd never thought anyone would be prepared to do what he did for you. But then I hadn't banked on any of your blood being spilt."

"Why the wings and the tail?"

"It's part of the process that would have worn off with time. There is a way to remove the ichor without killing the recipient but you have to wait for the ichor to settle in."

Merlin looked at the ground.

"Do you plan on attacking Camelot again?"

"No. I have done more than my share of damage and you wouldn't let me."

"I guess I wouldn't."

Merlin felt another flash of pain as his blood continued to fall from the wounds. He fell to his knees and doubled-over.

"I am so sorry, young warlock," the Dragon said. He sounded so sincere that Merlin believed him.

Kilgharrah then looked at Balinor's body. "Let me give him a burial worthy of a Dragonlord."

Merlin looked up and nodded, a tear rolling down his face.

The Dragon took in a deep breath and exhaled a jet of flames, lighting Balinor's body. Merlin watched through hazy eyes as the flames licked away at his father's body and his pyre.

After some minutes the flames died away and Balinor's ashes were lifted into the air, free to go wherever they could. Merlin couldn't help but smile.

"_Now you're free_," he thought, "_and you won't have to hide anymore_."

Merlin tried to stand up but failed as the movement twisted his stomach. He heard Kilgharrah growl with concern.

"I just...need to get back to Camelot," he muttered.

"Do you want me to take you? You are not strong enough."

"No, I'll walk. I don't want them trying to kill you again."

"Even after what I did?"

"I read some stuff in your head, remember. I know that you don't deserve to die though you do need to learn to show mercy to others."

* * *

_Depressing I know. Sorry! Please do review though. I'm also sorry it isn't as long as some of my other works. The last chapter or two will come soon._

_MerlinStar  
_


	6. Recovery

_Hello everyone! Sorry that it's been so long. You'd think __things would lighten up near the holidays, but obviously not. I've been up to my neck in UCAS stuff. Anyway, here's the final chapter of Humanity. Thank you for being patient with me._

* * *

**Chapter 6: Recovery**

"Gaius, we've been going for hours," Arthur moaned. "Are we there yet? Both of them could be dead by now."

"It's just through these trees," Gaius explained. "Then we just have to cross a lake."

Gwen and Arthur looked at each other.

"Do we have to swim?" Gwen asked.

"No, there's a boat."

"How do you know all this?" Arthur asked, clearly interested.

"I came this way many years ago," Gaius lied. In truth he had gone to the Isle of the Blessed about a year and a half ago and the time before that had been about twenty-three years ago.

Riding through the forest, Arthur could feel a slight wind begin to pick up and he could hear the rolling noise of water.

When they broke through some trees, they were met with a horrible sight. Merlin was lying face down on some sort of small harbour and he was shaking violently. He was also surrounded by a pool of what was unmistakably blood.

"MERLIN!" Arthur yelled, jumping off his horse and running at the boy. Grabbing him, Arthur turned him over and felt another ripple of shock.

Merlin was an utter mess. His chest was still bleeding and the healed wound on his stomach had been reopened. The servant's hair was matted with blood that streamed from where he had hit his head earlier and his lips were red and a number of trails of blood created a web-like feature down to his chin. His eyes were wild and bright as he stared up at the prince.

"Merlin," Arthur whispered, as Gaius and Gwen rushed over.

"Ar...thur," Merlin mumbled, his breathing quick and painful. "Hurts."

"Merlin, where's Balinor?" Gaius asked, gently.

They were all shocked to see tears form in Merlin's eyes.

"Dead," he whispered. Immediately, his eyes rolled backwards and the shaking increased. It took all of Arthur's strength to hold on to the boy, whilst Gaius knelt next to his head and tried, in vain, to stop the fit.

It could have been forever, but, eventually, Merlin did stop. His head lolled over the prince's arm, his eyes half open. Gaius had to bend forwards to be able to hear his breathing.

"I have to try to deal with the injuries now. Hopefully, that should be enough until we can get him back to Camelot."

* * *

Gwen stared down at her friend, who was shaking in his unconscious state.

It had been many hours since they had returned to Camelot with Merlin, and Gaius was seriously worried. He had told Gwen that it was likely that Merlin would develop a fever; neither of them had it in them to tell Arthur.

Whilst at the lake, the physician had managed to stitch the warlock's major wounds, but he had no idea as to how the dragon ichor would affect him. None of them thought that it would help. He had also cleaned up all of the blood that had covered Merlin.

As Gwen sat next to Merlin's bedside, Gaius pottered around, trying to find anything that could possibly help his ward. Arthur wasn't there. The other two guessed that he had either gone to speak to his father or he was skulking in his chambers, not wanting to know what was happening to his servant.

Merlin himself was gradually looking more human as time went on. The tail had virtually gone, but the wings were still stumps of feathers on the warlock's back, making it seem as if Merlin was slightly raised off of the bed.

"There's nothing," Gaius finally exclaimed, causing Gwen to jump in shock. "I can't give him anything without knowing that the ichor won't suddenly poison him."

"What about painkillers?" the maid asked, hopefully.

"They wouldn't work either... I fear that Merlin has to fight this himself." The physician went white as he said this and his jaw grinded together. Gwen knew that he loved Merlin more than anything, and to see the boy in this way was torture for the old man.

"He'll pull through. It's Merlin- he always does."

The two suddenly heard arguing from outside; and soon, the door burst open and they sprung up to see an enraged Uther enter, closely followed by a worried looking Arthur and Sir Leon.

"I have been informed that _that_ boy," Uther spat, gesturing at Merlin, "tried to kill my knights _and my son_."

"Father!" Arthur cried, giving Gaius and Gwen an apologetic look. "Merlin didn't know what he was doing; the dragon was controlling him."

"Sire," Gaius interrupted. "Arthur is right. Merlin would not have been able to stop if he wanted to. The way I look at things, it was only by fortune that Arthur and Balinor managed to distract the dragon long enough for Merlin to throw off the spell. Though the magic still fought to keep a hold of him, deep down, Merlin knew where his true loyalties lie."

"That does not excuse his actions. He could have _killed_ everyone in the city."

"It wasn't him though, Father," Arthur argued. "It was the dragon that could have _made_ him kill everyone. You seriously cannot think of punishing him! Look at him for crying out loud!" Arthur turned to his servant and paled when he saw the poor condition he was in. "Once he'd broken free of the spell, he jumped in front of me to stop the beast from killing me. _That's_ not the actions of someone who would kill everybody else. It's thanks to Merlin and Balinor that Camelot is safe, even after all we did to them. _You_ were the one that sent Merlin to the dragon in the first place, and because of that, a prosecuted man died for this kingdom, and Merlin nearly did as well."

"Yet, I hear that he himself became a magical creature."

Here, Arthur sent a quick glare at Sir Leon. The knight looked extremely guilty.

"That was part of the process that the dragon used to control him," Gaius explained, "but I believe that almost, if not all, of the ichor has left his bloodstream, which means that Merlin is once again pure human."

"Why the boy? The creature would only have chosen him if there was a very good reason."

"The dragon said something about Merlin's pure heart," Arthur stated. "He chose Merlin because it made a mockery of you, by having someone who was loyal to us being the one to destroy the city."

Uther briefly glanced back down at the unconscious warlock. "Very well." He stalked out of the room and vanished from view.

"I'm sorry," Leon muttered.

"Don't be," Arthur said. "He would have probably reacted like this, whether you told him or not; he would have found out some other way."

The knight nodded, quickly following the king.

Arthur looked back down at Merlin. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I don't know, Arthur," Gaius mumbled, his expression extremely forlorn. "It could be days before I could tell you anything. I dare not give him anything in case it reacts with any ichor left over. It could kill him."

"How could Uther do that?" Gwen muttered, shaking with fury. "Your father knows how loyal Merlin is; and he knows that Merlin would never willingly hurt anyone.

"He probably thought that the dragon's magic corrupted him," Arthur suggested. "Merlin might want to lie low when he wakes up."

"_If he wakes up_," the prince thought, tough he didn't share this with the others.

* * *

The next week crept by, much to the annoyance of Arthur, Gwen and Gaius, as it marked a great length of time during which Merlin was unconscious.

The boy's fever had gone down after the first day and had disappeared by the following morning, but he still did not wake up. Gaius was beginning to worry that the fit had something to do with it, coupled with the fact that the ichor might have left a lasting mark on his ward. Arthur and Gwen seriously hoped that he was wrong.

Another hypothesis that Gaius came up with was that Merlin's mind was protecting itself from what he had gone through whilst being a prisoner of the dragon. This was the scarier idea, as all of them were afraid that Merlin would wake up as nothing more than a shadow, especially because since Morgana's kidnap.

It was also quite monotonous without the warlock's grin and constant chatter. Most of the time, Arthur found himself bored stiff as he saw to the arrangements for the castle to be repaired. He knew that Gwen and Gaius were constantly watching his manservant, but he felt strange without the company of any of them.

On the other hand, Leon was constantly asking how Merlin was, which surprised the prince, as the knight had never really displayed interest in the boy before. Arthur guessed that he still felt guilty about nearly causing Uther to kill Merlin for changing into a creature of magic.

Arthur might have felt different without Merlin being there, but he tried to avoid going to the physician's chambers. It only reminded him of what he and his father had done to the servant.

At the end of the week, the prince walked in to find Gwen and Gaius supporting Merlin, who was currently in the bathtub, his pale skin more prominent against the wooden basin.

Arthur was horrified at how mutilated Merlin's torso appeared to be. The cut that the dragon had created with its tail stretched across the skin; underneath a blistered scar shone as if it was brand new- Arthur did not want to know how that had got there. He was afraid it had happened whilst Merlin had lain in the clearing before the dragon had taken him to the mountains. He could also just see the tip of the scar that the dragon had created to turn Merlin into whatever he had been. The first and latter were heavily stitched and the prince wasn't surprised by how careful the other two were being; the wounds looked as if they might open at any moment. There was also the place where Merlin had been injured in the skirmish with the Knights of Medhir. That was nothing compared to what the warlock was sporting now.

"How is he?" he asked, not wanting to intrude.

"He was twitching earlier," Gwen explained. "Gaius reckons that it can't be long now."

"Hopefully he will wake up soon," Gaius said. "Then we'll be able to tell how he's doing mentally." He then turned to Gwen. "I think that's been long enough now."

Knowing what they were about to do, Arthur span around, deliberately averting his eyes and staring at the ceiling.

The rush of water soon filled the room as they removed the warlock from the bathtub and then there was the scuffling as the pair dressed him.

After a couple of minutes, Arthur though that it was safe to turn back around. What he found was no better than when he had walked in.

Merlin was lying bare-chest on the bed, only wearing his trousers and a pair of socks. Obviously, Gaius had to keep an eye on the major injuries, but this just threw them into greater relief. Arthur could also see that, though the boy had been asleep for a week, his eyes were still surrounded by black circles. The prince thought that it was incredible that Merlin was recovering because he literally looked like hell itself. How badly had the dragon's magic affected him?

"I need to go and collect some herbs," Gaius declared, suddenly. "Do you mind watching him?"

"Of course," Gwen said, resuming her seat next to her friend's bedside.

Once Gaius had gone, Arthur made for another seat next to the bed, still staring at Merlin's horrific wounds.

Noticing this, Gwen deftly pulled a blanket over Merlin and tucked him in, afterwards giving Arthur an encouraging smile. "He'll be fine."

"Will he? I thought that when he was poisoned, nothing worse could happen to him... but this takes it beyond anything. Nobody should have to suffer this, least of all Merlin."

Gwen grinned to herself. Yet again, she was seeing that Merlin was Arthur's friend, despite both of their protests that they only tolerated each other. She knew that Merlin would feel the same if Arthur was in this position.

"That never stopped him from pulling through."

"Have you ever seen him have a fit before? I don't think he's ever been controlled either."

"Arthur, you must stop worrying. We all had faith that you would find the Dragonlord and you did. Now we just need to have faith that Merlin will wake up."

The prince nodded and grasped her hand. "Thank you, Guinevere."

* * *

Merlin groaned as his eyes flickered open. He gazed around to see that he was back in Gaius' chambers.

The warlock suddenly had a fit of panic. Where was his father? That was when the memories started to sink in. It took all of Merlin's strength not to howl in misery as he thought about how his father had been snatched away from him because of his own idiocy. If only he had been stronger, then Balinor might not have died.

Once he had subdued his grief, the servant noticed that Arthur was in the chair next to him and that Gaius' snores were coming from the other room. Gwen was more than likely at home. Watching the prince, Merlin grinned as he suddenly slipped off of the chair, only just waking up in time to catch himself by balancing himself on the warlock's bed.

"Prat," he murmured.

Arthur turned his head to stare at the warlock. "Merlin? You're awake!"

"No, I'm a zombie."

"How do you feel?"

"A bit better. Are you actually asking?"

"Only for Gaius. I told him to get some sleep. You've had everyone worried beyond belief."

"Even you?"

"There were moments before I returned to my senses."

Merlin grinned but then pushed himself up and peered around at his bedroom door. Arthur tried to protest, though he was ignored.

"Are you sure Gaius is alright?" the warlock queried

"He's fine. He's tougher than old boots. Surely you should be more worried about yourself."

"How can I? I know what I nearly did."

Arthur's face fell. "Merlin, you are not to start blaming yourself for any of this."

"It's my fault. I should-"

"Don't even bother finishing that sentence, Merlin. You could have done nothing to stop that dragon from taking you."

Merlin had to give a bitter laugh. There was too much irony in what Arthur said. The prince had no idea.

"You couldn't have stopped it from controlling you. You're only human. We were lucky that you managed to break free; otherwise we would have been in serious trouble."

"But Balinor..." Merlin trailed off, feeling the grief bubbling inside him.

"Merlin, what happened when I left? How is it that Balinor died when he hadn't been injured?"

Feeling loathe to do so, Merlin lied. "Balinor was about to kill the dragon when it attacked him. They both dealt each other a mortal blow... He... He took me to that island to heal me... but he didn't have enough time to heal himself... He died... because of me." At this point, Merlin was literally forcing himself not to cry in front of Arthur. That would lead to seriously awkward questions.

"I'm so sorry, Merlin. I shouldn't have gone for him. If it's anyone's fault then it's mine."

"Don't say that! You only did what you thought was right. He saved Camelot... He would have been glad to know that."

"He didn't want to help in the first place. I don't know how, but Gaius managed to convince him."

Merlin could hazard a guess. Gaius had obviously been the one to tell the Dragonlord about his son.

"At least the people are safe," Merlin said, hoarsely, turning his gaze downwards to the blankets covering him. "Arthur... Thank you for coming for me. You shouldn't have done that."

"As if I was going to let an innocent man die like that. Besides, you would have probably had all the glory with you being the sacrifice that saved Camelot."

"Which I wasn't." Merlin gave a watery giggle. "Is Gwen alright?"

"She'll be relieved to know that you're awake."

"How long have I been out?"

"A week."

Merlin ogled at him. "A week? That can't be right."

Arthur shrugged his shoulders. "You were pretty lucky to be asleep; you missed my father's wrath."

"He tried to kill me, didn't he?"

The prince was silent, which answered Merlin's question.

"You stopped him though. Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me; you've been through enough."

Merlin then began to inspect himself. He grimaced at the numerous scars that now littered his body and he was shocked at how seriously stitched the two cuts were. Reaching behind, he felt the place where the wings- _his _wings- had been, but felt nothing.

"There's scarring," Arthur explained, knowing what Merlin was looking for.

"Well it could be worse."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at this.

Merlin shrugged. "I could be dead."

The prince was silent. True, Merlin did look as if he'd been beaten half to death but at least he was still alive. Arthur would never tell him, but he was glad that Merlin had pulled through and wasn't showing any signs of depression. He clapped Merlin on the shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, Merlin."

The warlock beamed at his master.

* * *

"Gaius," Merlin whined, "I need to go back to work sometime; it's a miracle that Arthur hasn't been banging on the door."

It had been another week, during which time Gaius had made sure that Merlin stayed in bed. At first, Merlin accepted that his mentor needed to be sure that there were no dangerous side-effects of the ichor, but it soon became rather boring as Gaius still had to do his rounds. Gwen and Arthur were also rather busy with helping rebuild Camelot, though reparations were well under way and had nearly finished. This left Merlin on his own for periods of time but the three made sure that they regularly checked on him to make sure that he wasn't suffering from memories of what had happened. Arthur and Gwen were relieved that nothing like this happened, however Gaius knew differently. Nearly every night, he was awoken by Merlin, who kept having nightmares about when the dragon had controlled him. The most prominent dreams were about the death of Balinor.

"You were poisoned by dragon ichor, Merlin," Gaius told him back in the present. "That isn't something that can be ignored. Then there's also the nightmares."

"I'm coping, Gaius... I'll be fine."

Gaius shook his head and sat next to his ward. "You hold a lot of things inside you, Merlin. It's no wonder that you're being forced to remember it. Just know that me, Gwen and Arthur are here if you need to talk."

Merlin hung his head. "He shouldn't have sacrificed himself for me. I was the one who let the dragon out of the caves. It was my punishment for letting it attack all of those people."

"Whatever Kilgharrah did to you, it was not to punish you. It was to punish Uther because of what he'd done. Besides, I don't even think that Kilgharrah meant to use you against Camelot. From what Leon told me, the dragon didn't want you to hurt anyone. Kilgharrah may have used you to show how powerful dragons were, even if he was the last one. No one meant for your father to be hurt by what happened, least of all Kilgharrah and definitely not you. You cannot blame yourself for your father's death. He died knowing that you would live and that would have been enough for him. I'd do it for you."

"I... I just wish that I'd gotten to know him more. He could have told me so much... and mother... What am I going to tell her?"

"I've already sent word to her about what's happened. She might come here when the message reaches her; in fact, she probably will."

"He was the last Dragonlord, Gaius. They've all gone because of me."

"I think you'll find that they haven't. The powers of the Dragonlord pass from father to son. I'm certain that you are now a Dragonlord."

Merlin did not know whether this was good news or not. On the one hand, it felt right to see this as his inheritance from his father, but the other half of him felt as if he did not deserve such a privilege.

There was a short silence.

"Gaius... would that explain how my magic's changed?" Merlin finally muttered.

Gaius started, raising an eyebrow.

Merlin promptly turned to face a candle and it sparked into life without him uttering a word or making a single movement. The only think that changed was the brief glimmer of his eyes. Gaius was startled at this.

The flame then began to bend into a variety of shapes, firstly forming a dragon, then a unicorn and then flaming bird that soared around the room. After that, the flame sputtered out of existence, leaving no trace of the display that had just occurred.

Gaius turned back to Merlin. "Your magic would not have changed that much. It would have only strengthened you when a dragon is involved."

"Kilgharrah... he said that the ichor would make me stronger. I guess he wasn't lying."

"I think I read about this somewhere. In the rare cases of someone surviving they found that they became a lot stronger. I wouldn't be surprised if you were a lot more physically stronger as well."

Merlin looked nonplussed at this. Physically stronger? That didn't sound like him at all.

Gaius also seemed to foresee the problem. "It would probably be best to not exert yourself too much. You can already control your magic, so you shouldn't have a problem there. I think that Arthur in particular would notice if you were suddenly stronger than him."

The warlock did not appear to be too pleased by this as he now looked glum.

Gaius placed a hand on his shoulder. "It will get better, Merlin. You'll see. After all you've been through and all you're still going to achieve, I'm sure that your father and everyone else will be proud of you. I know that I already am."

Merlin turned his gaze to the window and watched as the sun shone through, basking him in its warm glow. Closing his eyes, the warlock knew that Gaius was right. The pain would eventually fade, even if both the physical and emotional scars would never leave him. He knew that his grief would linger for a while but he had something to hold on to. He had Gaius, Gwen, his mother and Arthur. They were the lights in his relatively dark world and they would all pull him through to the other side, for which he was thankful.

There would be one day when Gwen and Arthur would know him for who he was, and hopefully they would accept him. In the meantime, he had these hopes and the memories of those he had lost to hang on to.

The city was crippled by Morgana's kidnap and Kilgharrah's attack, though Merlin knew that Arthur would help them all through it and he knew that he would be behind the prince all of the way. It would take time and patience but Merlin hoped that he would be able to do enough to make his father proud.

* * *

_There we are then. Thank you ever so much for reading this and please do review. I will update some of my other stuff soon._

_Thanks again.  
_

_MerlinStar  
_


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